Working in a big company often makes you feel a part of something important. But at the same time, it means communicating with dozens and even hundreds of people every day. How many people can confidently say they have good working relationships with colleagues? Not so many, especially judging by the fact that guides and tips on maintaining working relationships are rather popular among Internet users. It’s good if you manage to find common ground with some of your colleagues or even make friends with them. First of all, you always have someone to talk to, and you show up in a good mood and, as a result, work better.
Workers think that their bosses should do everything to maintain good working relationships. In contrast, bosses often aren’t interested in what is going on in the team and prefer not to interfere. However, good relationships between colleagues are a common goal, and all people should try to achieve it.
What constitutes a good working relationship?
If you show up at work, say hello and exchange a few phrases, you hardly have good relationships with colleagues. Quite often, people in such teams tend to talk about each other and spread rumors. Is effective work ever possible in such a team? To say nothing about teamwork. People just have no idea of the principles of working relationships, and it’s necessary to change them. Here are some aspects on which these communication and interaction are based:
- Openness;
- Trust;
- Self-awareness;
- Respect;
- Transparency;
- Acceptance;
- Non-judgement.
All these basic aspects are important components of healthy relationships between colleagues. And why do we need to maintain these relationships? Improved teamwork is the most important benefit. Working relationships also encourage communication and interaction between team members, personal growth, morale, and overall satisfaction with the job and team. When people in a company feel satisfied and happy, they work better to benefit the business. All aspects are intertwined here. We hope you realize the importance of establishing a good working relationship, and we can start discussing the most effective ways of doing it.
- Talk to each other more often
Stop thinking that communication is necessary only during teamwork. Even if you work independently, you have some breaks during the day, so why can’t you spend them communicating with colleagues? All relationships are caused by a lack of communication, no matter what relationship we discuss: personal or working. Those teams that aren’t used to talk about anything besides workflow may think they have no mutual interests and hobbies to discuss. We suppose you all just need time to understand each other and find common ground. It’s okay to share your emotions and worries with colleagues — a good team knows how to support those who need help.
- Spend time together
Company parties and group meetings are clearly not the best ways to get to know each other, but your company shouldn’t stop organizing them. But since you plan to improve and maintain a good working relationship, you have to find other ways to spend time together. For example, you may visit active leisure parks, museums, organize a picnic day, or gather together to watch a movie. It can be a bit difficult since you all are busy people and some of you have families, but try to carve out some time.
- Gossips are banned
If some people in your team can’t live without talking about other people behind their backs, the relationships in the team will never be good. So devote one of your group meetings or team-building activities to discussing the problem of gossiping and the consequences for those who’ll continue to spread them. You can become a gossip without realizing it. It’s okay if you don’t understand some actions or words of your coworker, but it doesn’t mean you have the right to discuss them with others. Please, resolve conflicts with someone who made you start this conflict.
- Let each worker set boundaries
Personal communication at work is allowed, but only if all colleagues are aware of its aim and can set the time when they are available for communication. We go to work every day to address business needs and earn money. Don’t overdo carving out the time because it will lead to the reverse effect: you’ll build good relationships while harming productivity and performance. Each person has to evaluate the workload and then decide how many breaks won’t harm the quality of work execution.
- Promote equality
This principle may seem weird and wrong for some people since all workers in the company have different positions, some of which are higher. Treating everyone equally seems to contradict the principles of subordination in the workplace. However, equality isn’t about the absence of respect for workers who occupy higher positions. Equality presupposes that you and all other people never treat certain workers as if they are better. If all these people work in the company, the owners decide they all are worthy of it. No one is better, and no one is worse — all people are equal.
- Be ready to assist
Your company certainly has guidelines and policies. If workers are allowed to add recommendations to these documents, we advise you to do it at one of the regular meetings. Please, include the principle of mutual assistance there and make sure each worker understands it. You all work in one company and try to achieve a mutual aim — take the company to a very top. It’s okay sometimes not to understand job assignments and need help. Refusing to assist — this is what’s wrong.
Use these tips to see improvements
The problems in working relationships in teams are even more widespread than we can even imagine. And the tips we mentioned above should help all teams regardless of the field of work to build a positive attitude. Since all groups and teams can face misunderstandings, we think this guide may be used by all people, including students and family members.
The first one often faces problems, quarrels, and even bullying; that’s why building relationships is crucial for them. Studying may take the valuable time students can spend together, so ordering homework from a professional essay writing service is the best possible way to free yourself. Custom research paper writing isn’t cheating, but the way to lead a full life.